Sen. Bernie Sanders is no longer receiving Secret Service protection, a source said Tuesday.
Sanders returned to Washington after his endorsement of Hillary Clinton earlier in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The protection was dropped on arrival in Washington, according to a source familiar with the senator’s schedule.
Sanders started receiving Secret Service protection in February, between the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, as his candidacy soared and his crowds swelled. He had several close calls with protesters along the way, where his agents rushed in to protect him from potential harm.
He maintained his protection even after the Democratic primary process ended on June 14, drawing some questions from his fellow senators as he returned to his day job on Capitol Hill.
A spokeswoman for the Secret Service declined to comment on the duration or cost of Sanders’ protection.
Several senators told CNN privately they were stunned to see Sanders at the Capitol with such an entourage, particularly because the building is already secured by U.S. Capitol Police.
One colleague, who declined to be identified to avoid publicly talking ill of a fellow senator, bluntly had said: “Bernie’s on an ego kick.”
“I think security is probably something we shouldn’t be talking about too much,” Sanders told CNN at the end of June, walking with his protective detail through the halls of the Senate office buildings.